Electrowetting pumping device and application to electric activity measurements

Abstract

A method for pumping through an orifice of a first substrate, a first volume of liquid in contact with a first hydrophobic surface of said substrate, wherein a pressure variation between the first volume of liquid and a second volume of liquid, located in contact with said orifice and a second hydrophobic surface of said substrate, is achieved by electrowetting.

1. A method comprising:
 pumping through an orifice of a first substrate, a first volume of liquid, in contact with a first hydrophobic surface of said substrate, 
 wherein a pressure variation between said first volume of liquid and a second volume of liquid, located in contact with said orifice and a second hydrophobic surface of said substrate, is achieved by electrowetting. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first and/or said second volume of liquid is confined, at least during pumping, between said first hydrophobic surface and/or said second hydrophobic surface and a second and/or a third substrate. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second hydrophobic surfaces of said substrate are parallel to each other and to a plane defined by said substrate. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first hydrophobic surface of said substrate is parallel to a plane defined by said substrate, and said second hydrophobic surface is defined by at least one portion of a wall of said orifice. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using an electrowetting device, comprising said first substrate, and a plurality of electrodes positioned under said first hydrophobic surface, wherein said pumping is obtained by activating said electrodes. 
 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 5 , wherein another plurality of electrodes are positioned under said second hydrophobic surface. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first volume of liquid and said second volume of liquid consist of a drop of liquid. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein each of said drops is formed from at least one reservoir. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein each of said drops has a volume between 1 nl and 100 μl. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring electric activity of said first volume of liquid. 
 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the measuring of the electric activity is performed on a single cell contained in said first volume of liquid. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the measuring of the electric activity is performed on one channel or on channels of the single cell or of a membrane of the single cell. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the measuring of the electric activity is performed on a biological object in said first volume of liquid. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the biologic object is an embryo or a bovine ovocyte.